Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to print services and, specifically, to a system, method and computer program product for implementing a print services network that provides for optimum print shop printing equipment utilization.
More particularly, print shops (i.e., document production environments), including independent print services enterprises (i.e., enterprises that offer and directly provide commercial print services to customers) and also printing departments within non-print services enterprises (i.e., printing departments within enterprises that do not offer and directly provide commercial print services to customers), are generally capable of fulfilling a wide variety of print job requests. Specifically, such print shops process print job requests using resources, including, but not limited to, printers, cutters, collators and other printing equipment, in order to generate a finished product (i.e., printed material). However, it is often difficult for such print shops to operate at capacity. Typically, at any given time, these print shops will operate either below capacity (i.e. at less than 100% printing equipment utilization) or above capacity (at 100% printing equipment utilization with a back log of print job requests). Thus, there is a need in the art for a system, method and computer program product for implementing a print services network that will provide for optimum printing equipment utilization.